ACM BEDFORD COUNTY CAMPUS TO HOST FIRST IN-PERSON GRADUATION SINCE 2019:
Three Students, Including a High School Senior, to Present Remarks
EVERETT, Pa. (May 11, 2022) – When students in Allegany College of Maryland’s Class of 2022 cross the stage at Everett Area High School, they’ll be making history as the first graduates since 2019 to receive degrees and certificates as part of a traditional ACM Bedford County Campus commencement ceremony. All are welcome to attend the college’s spring commencement ceremony held at 7 p.m. on Monday, May 16. No tickets are required for entry and masks are optional.
Dr. Cynthia S. Bambara, ACM’s president, will open the ceremony with a welcome to the candidates for graduation and their guests. ACM Trustee James R. Pyles will offer greetings. ACM Instructional and Student Affairs Senior Vice President Dr. Kurt Hoffman will present the candidates for graduation, and Pyles will award the graduates their diplomas. Faculty members will announce the names of the graduates.
Students Share Hopes and Aspirations.
Kasey Brown, a sociology area of concentration and general studies student who completed her degrees by taking Early College classes, Elizabeth Emerick, a psychology area of concentration student, and Ryan Kisner, a computer technology student who also took Early College classes, were selected to speak at the graduation.
Kasey Brown, a resident of Burnt Cabins, holds a 4.0 GPA. Brown will graduate from Forbes Road Junior-Senior High School in June. Although she was initially interested in ACM’s nursing program, taking an Early College sociology course with Dr. Diane McMahon changed Brown’s course of study and career path. Now, with plans to become a school counselor, Brown will be a transfer student and sociology major at Shippensburg University this fall before pursuing a graduate degree. At Forbes Road High School, Brown is class treasurer and a member of Student Council, the National Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America and the field hockey team. In her speech, Brown will challenge her fellow graduates to use their educations as catalysts for changing the world.
Elizabeth Emerick, who lives in Fairhope, earned her GED and entered ACM in the fall of 2020. A homeschooled student, she was initially nervous about adjusting to ACM but quickly found her place in classes offered at its Somerset Education Site and Bedford County Campus. She was “wowed” in her first college class. Emerick is the third ACM graduate in her family and will transfer to Frostburg State University in the fall as a psychology major and art minor. She eventually plans to earn graduate degrees in her chosen field of counseling – following in her mother’s footsteps – to help others realize their incredible potential. Emerick will, in her student address, discuss the importance of gratitude and appreciation.
A resident of Everett and 2020 graduate of Bedford High School, Ryan Kisner holds a 3.9 GPA. He is a scholarship recipient through the Bedford County Regional Education Foundation. Both of his parents also attended ACM. Kisner began his own studies at ACM in 2019, taking Early College classes in programming and app development that quickly fostered his interest and passion in computers and technology. He will be a transfer student at Regent University in Virginia Beach this fall where he plans to study computer science and/or cybersecurity. In his speech, Kisner will talk about the powerful importance of perseverance and adaptability.
